Car-coupling



(No Model.)

RAWLES.

' GAR COUPLING.

Patented 1360.30, 1890.

ATTORNEY.

W W a m 7, a w Tm v. (1m 4 a a w x w ief s dicates the draw-bar havingthe head or socket .base of and between said jaws, the ends of saidUNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHN RAIVLES, OF SEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,867, dated December30,1890.

Application filed August 28, 1890.

T0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN RAWLES, residing at Seville, in the county ofFulton and State of Illinois, have invented certain new andusefullmprovements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incar-couplings.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved, cheap, simple,durable, and exceedingly efficient car-coupling which will be flexibleand allow lateral play between the cars, whereby the cars can be easilyand quickly coupled or uncoupled when on a curve with the cars at anangle to each other, and thereby removing the strain and wear on thecoupler and car-body, and also to provide for sufficient slack betweenthe cars.

These objects are accomplished by and this invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and in combinations of parts, more fullydescribed hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective of thecoupling, showing portion of the car-body. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsection through a portion of the draw-bar and the movable buffer-head,showingthecoupling-hookinplan. Fig.3isatransverse section on line y y,Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail perspective views, respectively, ofthe buffer-head, the coupling-jaw, and the locking-pin.

In the drawings, the reference-letter a inat its front end composed ofthe corresponding horizontal parallel upper and lower jaws b b and thetransversely-concaved seat 0 at the concave seat terminating in thestop-shoulders (Z (Z on opposite sides of the draw-bar. The two jaws b bare provided with the corresponding apertures e.

f is a movable or rotary bu ffer-hcad formed Serial No. 368,375. (Nomodel.)

to fit snugly and turn between said jaws Z) Z), and pivoted and heldtherein by the pivotbolt g, passed through said apertures e and anaperture hthrough the buffer-head. This head is provided with thelateral shoulders t' t in front of and corresponding to and adapted toengage the shoulders d d by which the rotary or turning movement of thehead is limited in both directions, as is most obvious.

Between shoulders i 1; the head is provided with the convex rear end orportion j, to snugly fit and turn in the concave seat 0, the curvatureof the seat 0 and end j being struck from substantially the same center,so

that they snugly fit, and all blows and shocks on the buffer-head arereceived on said seat and end, thereby relieving the pivot-pin g of allheavy concussions and shocks. On one side of its front end thisbuffer-head is provided with the rigid guard is, having the curved frontface, as usual, and its ends extendedbeyond the planes of the top andbottom surfaces of the buffer, so as to be fiush with the outer surfacesof the jaws b b. In the other side of its front end the buffer-head isprovided with the socket, in which the pivoted coupling-jaw or jaw m ispivoted by bolt n, passed through the buffer-head. The outer end of thejaw can be provided with slot 0 and pin-hole p, as usual with this classof couplers and for well-known purposes. The outer portion of this jawis of such vertical length that its ends are flush with the upper andlower faces of jaws b b. Thus the front face of the jaw presents a solidsurface for all blows and shocks from the approaching opposing coupler.The outer edge of the tongue of said jaw or hook is provided withrearwardly-facing shoulder q opposite and adapted to engage shoulder rof the bufferhead, and thereby limit the outward swing of the jaw. Thejaw is provided with the laterally-extending heel, as usual, which inthis instance is provided with the recess 8 the shown at 12 from aboutthe hole for the pin as a center, and said convex portion bears play forthe purposes mentioned and carried and turns in a concave seat (Z in thebutton head.

The butler-head is provided with a transverse aperture 1' for thelocking-pin Il' opposite and corresponding to front recess 8 and of suchsize that the locking-pin extends into the path of the heel of the jaw.At its upper end above upper jaw 12 said pin is provided with horizontallaterally-extending arm (4 whereby the pin is lifted, as hereinafter setforth. The upper portion of the outer edge of the pin is cut away toform shoulder 1/,which engages the under side of edge of jaw l) andprevents said pin being drawn completely out. The outer edge of said pinis also provided with recesses c d, separated by lug 6', so that whenthe jaw is swung in and the pin is in its normal position said pinextends into recess 5, lug c is in front of lug It of the jaw, and theportion above recess 0 in front of lug a, thus holding the jaw. \Vhcn itis desired to release the jaw, the pin is raised, so that lugs u u canpass out through recesses c d, and when the jaw has swung out the upperedge of recess 0 rests on the extension of upper lug It, therebyupholding the pin in position to automatically drop into lockedposition. The locking-pin is raised and lowered, preferably, by shaft f,mounted to rock in suitable bearings and having a laterally-bent end 9',extending looselyhencath the raising linger or arm of the pin to raisethe same and the outer handle end 7:. at the end of the car.

In order to allow for the slack required in freiglit-trai11s,tl1c holethrough the butterhead for its pivot-pin can be (if desirable) madeelliptical in the line of draftinstead of circular, thereby allowing thebutfer-head and its jaw play in the line of draft.

The many and varied advantages of this coupling are obvious. The wearand strain on the coupling are greatly reduced. Thereby its life isstrengthened, and its wear-and size can be reduced. The coupling can beeasily and quickly uncoupled at any time whether or not the cars be on acurve or in motion. Slack in this class of couplers is thus pro videdfor. The locking-pin and its operatin g mechanism is a greatimprovement.

\Vhere the locking-pin is secured to the operatinglever or shaft, manyditiiculties are met, and the securing device becomes injured or brokenor otherwise rendered inoperative. By my arrangement of having thepin-lifting devices separate from the pin and merely loosely engagingthe same to lift the pin all of these difiiculties are overcome. Thereare no joints to be broken or injured. The buffer-head extendscompletely across the end of the draw-bar, and so carries the couplingdevices that they have the lateral play or flexibility, and hence form asupport for the coupling devices having lateral or circular by thedrawbar. Attention is also directed to the factthat the tongue or heelof the coupling-hook extends in a plane in rear of and parallel with theouter or engaging hook portion a of the hook, and hence the draft orpulling strain on said hook not on the locking or the pivot pin alone,but evenly distributed on both and on opposite sides of the butter-head,and hence centrally on the pivot-bolt of the buiterhead. This is a greatimprovement, as the strain is notentirelyon the locking devices, as itgenerally is in this class of couplers, because the heel extends atright angles to the hook proper, and hence the entire strain exerts atendency to throw the heel out. If desirable, the outer edge of the heelcan be provided with a depression or recess (not here shown) oppositeslot 0 to receive the end of the link when used instead of thecoupling-hook. It should also be observed that the entire rear edge orface of the hook when swung in fits against a rigid wall comprisingconcave seat (Z and the remaining rear wall of the socket in thebutter-head. Hence all shocks are transmitted by the hook directly tothe buffer-head, and from the butter-head they are transmitted directlyto the draw-bar by means of the rigid wall in rear of said head composedof concave seat 0 and shoulders (I (I. By this means all shocks aretransmitted directly to the drawbar springs and are not received by anyof the pivot-pins of the coupler.

By reason of the support of the coupling mechanism permitting lateralplay of the same the draw-bar can be rigid against lateral movement,thereby dispensing with expensive springs, woodwork, be.

This coupler can be constructed cheaply, and easily, and rapidly, as thedraw-bar, buffer-head, and hook can be, respectively, cast integral.

Itis evident that various changes might be made in the form andarrangements of the parts described without departing from the spiritandscope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself to theconstruction exactly as here shown.

hat I claim is- 1. A support having the rigid guard on one side and thesocket in the other side having concave seat and a shoulder at its outerend, in combination with the swinging couplingjaw pivoted in saidsocket, having the lateral heel, the convex rear portion fitting in saidseat and the shoulder in its outer edge opposite and to engage saidshoulder of the seat.

2. The pin having the lateral lifting-arm and the two recesses in oneedge separated by a lug, substantially as described.

The swinging jaw having the vertical recess on the front portion of itsedge, the horizontal recess extending into its edge forming the lugs,the upper lug being extended rearwardl y, in combination with the pinhaving the recesses in its edge separated by the extended lug, and theshoulder in one side above the upper recess, all operating as set forth.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-bar having the twojaws and the transversely-concaved seat. terminating in shoulders ateach end, the integral solid bufferhead extending completely across thedrawbar and pivoted between said jaws to allow limited rotation, andhaving the convex back fitting in said seat and terminating inshoulders, said head having the rigid guard, and the coupling-hookpivoted in the head, substantially as described.

5. In combination,the draw-bar having the transversely-curved solid wallbetween its jaws, the integral buffer-head extending across thedraw-bar, pivoted between said jaws to turn, and having its solid backcurved to correspond with and fit said wall of the draw-bar, said headhaving a socket in one side of its front end, having a solid rear wallincluding a transverse concave seat, and the coupling-hook pivoted insaid socket, engaging said wall of the socket along its rear edge whenswung in, and having a convex back in rear of its pivot-pin to fit andturn in said seat, and the locking-pin to engage the outer end of itsheel.

6. In combination, the draw-bar, the integral buffer-head pivoted withinsaid bar to turn and extending completely across the front end of saidbar and having the guard extending forwardly from the bar, and. a socketin the opposite side of its front end, having a rigid rear wall, thehook pivoted in said socket and having the heel extending substantiallyparallel with the hook and constructed to engage said wall along theentire rear side of its heel, and a locking-pin to engage the outer endof the heel.

7-. The draw-bar, the buffer-head centrally pivoted thereto, the hookhaving the heel extending substantially parallel with the hook. portion,said hook being pivotedto the head in a plane on one side of thehead-pivot, and

the locking-pin engaging the outer end of the heel in front of and onthe other side of the head-pivot, whereby the draft is equally on thehook-pivot and locking-pin and from thence transmitted directly to thehead-pivot.

JOHN RAWLES. Witnesses:

J UDD STEVER, HIRAM RAwLEs.

